equate explanation, such as that which it is hoped these pages will
afford, of the part the movement was to play in Irish life. We were
asked whether our scheme was business or philanthropy. If philanthropy,
it would probably do more harm than good. If business, why was it not
self-supporting? I remember hearing the movement ridiculed in the House
of Commons by a prominent Irish member on the ground that the accounts
of the I.A.O.S. showed that L20,000 (L40,000 would be nearer the mark
now) had been put into the 'business,' and that this large capital had
been entirely lost! When we proved that agricultural co-operation
brought a large profit to the members of the societies we formed, it was
suggested that a small part of this profit would give us all we required
for our organising work. So it will in time, but if instead of merely
refusing financial assistance to our converts, we were, on the other
hand, to demand it from them, we certainly should not lessen the
difficulty of launching our movement among the farmers of Ireland. Some
of our critics denounced the expenditure of so much money for which, in
their opinion, there was nothing to show, and said that the time had
come to stop this 'spoon-feeding.' When those for whose exclusive
benefit the costly work had been undertaken learned that all we had to
offer was the cold advice that they should help themselves, they not
infrequently raised a wholly different objection to our economic
doctrine. Spoonfeeding they might have tolerated, but there was nothing
in the spoon! The movement has survived all these criticisms. The lack
of moral and of financial support which retarded its progress in the
early years, has been so far surmounted The movement may now, I think,
appeal for further help as one that has justified its existence. The
opinion that it has done so is not held only by those who are engaged in
promoting it, nor by Irish observers alone. The efforts of the Irish
farmers so to reorganise their industry that they may hopefully approach
the solution of the problems of rural life are being watched by
economists and administrators abroad. Enquirers have come to Ireland
during the last two years from Germany, France, Canada, the United
States, India, South Africa, Cyprus and the West Indies, having been
drawn here by the desire to understand the combination of economic and
human reform. It was not alone the economic advantages of the movement
which interested them, bu